There are easy dinners, and then there are stupid easy dinners. This is the latter. I’m not even kidding guys, you are 10 minutes away from incredible Asian wonton soup. Savory broth, tender wontons, crunchy cashews, and even some veggies for the healthy factor. Make this any time you want to feel nourished AND delighted. Originally published April 23, 2014.
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YOU. GUYS.
My sister Nikki sent this text to our family last week: “That agent, ____, offered me representation today. I’m so excited!!!”
Some of you may remember the post where I bragged about how Nikki’s novel won the Grand Prize for All Categories at a writing conference she attended. Well now she’s all growed up and has an agent of her own! She’s one step closer to getting published!!
I’ve been reading Nikki’s YA novel, Shatter, since it’s infancy, and I’m not at all a biased, adoring little sister when I say that I knew from the start that someday Nikki was not only going to be published, but launched into the fame and riches that comes with authorship. Writers have always made tons of money, right??
Her news induced an epic family texting war, a few of us mostly in the game to annoy the crap out of our siblings at work. The issue was who had texted Nikki back to congratulate her first (I’m in green):
(For the record guys, I was first.)
But anyway, back to Nikki’s awesome news. Getting signed with an agent is BIG. She’s been working hard for this for a long time. To share her excitement, this week she is hosting a $35 Barnes and Noble giveaway on her blog. Her novel is a mystery, so naturally you have to solve a (simple!) clue to enter. Click here for the clue to guess her agent’s name (and see naked people celebrating!) Congratulations Nikki!!!
You’ll love this easy wonton soup recipe
What’s NOT to love about this stuff?!? Let’s make a list of its best features:
- Ready in 10 minutes. See ya later 30 minute meals, we’re making dinner so fast it should be illegal (I’m kidding, please nobody make it illegal).
- Made with pantry ingredients. Your decently well-stocked Asian pantry comes to the rescue again, plus a couple things from a freezer and some baby spinach.
- So easy to modify. Don’t have spinach, but you’ve got carrots? Great, we’re in business. The same can be said for almost any leftover veggies hanging out in the fridge.
- Packed with flavor. Ginger, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar. We are talking alllll the salty/sweet/spicy flavors your heart desires.
Wonton Soup Recipe with Frozen Wontons
Let me introduce you to My New Favorite Dinner. I have made this soup 4 times already since I discovered it a few weeks ago, and obviously I cook a lot, so that’s saying something. It’s amazing, and it literally takes 10 minutes. I got the recipe from the lovely Liz over at The Lemon Bowl. She calls it 5 minute Wonton Soup, but I’m knife-challenged and it takes me 5 minutes just to mince ginger, so I upped it to 10 minutes. But I promise it is super fast.
And adaptable! That’s the best part, besides the awesome flavor. Liz’s version has kale and mushrooms, I used spinach and peas. Take a look in your veggie drawer or freezer and throw in whatever you have. Add rice or noodles to beef it up if you want. Green onions, carrots, or sesame seeds would be great additions. You can add several dashes of sriracha or any hot sauce in lieu of sweet chili sauce. Or just leave it out. (I mean, if you’re a wuss.)
If I keep wontons in my freezer (which I most certainly will now!) I usually have everything on hand to make this soup. It’s an oh-crap-I-forgot-dinner-again lifesaver. (Forget is the wrong word. More like “I’m-in-denial-about-dinner-again.”) Check out Liz’s post on How to Stock Your Pantry for Asian Cooking if the ingredients don’t look familiar to you. Asian cooking is a flavorful way to eat healthy.
Easy Wonton Soup Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of the ingredients in this recipe so you can add them to your shopping list. Scroll down to the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Chicken broth
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Sweet chili sauce
- Fresh ginger
- Frozen wontons
- Frozen peas
- Baby spinach
- Cilantro
- Cashews (for garnish)
How to Make Wonton Soup with Frozen Wontons
This soup is sooooo easy, but I’m going to give you a quick overview anyway! Jump to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions.
- Add your chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and the ginger to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the wontons, frozen peas, and baby spinach. Warm through.
- Serve with cashews and cilantro, that’s it! Phew, dinner is DONE.
How long to boil frozen wontons
Frozen wontons make a FAST soup, because they only need to be boiled for 3 minutes. This is true even if you’re making them by themselves and not adding them to a soup.
What to Serve with Wonton Soup
Wonton soup makes a great complete meal, but you can also offer it as the first course of a fancier dinner or serve it alongside other tasty Asian-inspired choices. Here are some of my favorites!
Easy Sesame Noodles with Spring Veggies >> add any veggies you want, these noodles are so incredibly good.
Copycat P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps >> just as iconic at home as they are at the restaurant.
Asian Pork Tenderloin (Slow Cooker) >> If you’re a carnivore like me this is where it’s at.
Marinated Asian Cucumber Salad >> fresh! Light! Ideal for your soup and salad combo.
Banh Mi Sandwich >> have you ever had a banh mi? One of my favorite sandwiches ever.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice >> I love fried rice, and I love how easy it is to make on one pan.
How to Store this Wonton Soup Recipe
Wonton soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don’t add the chopped cashews until you’re garnishing individual bowls or they’ll get mushy.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup – you’d have to re-freeze the wontons and peas. Fortunately, this is a ten-minute soup, so just keeping the frozen wontons and peas on hand ensures a quick meal when you need it.
Frozen wonton soup FAQs
Wonton soup can be made of any broth you want. Here we’re using chicken broth but you could totally use beef broth, or vegetable broth. I always like using Better than Bouillon because it’s so high quality and easy to store in the fridge (they make beef, chicken, and vegetable bouillon bases, so anything is possible).
Wonton soup is packed with peas and spinach in a hot and hydrating broth. Depending on the wontons you use, they may contain more or less sodium. They’re processed, but they can also be low fat and high protein. Life is a balancing act and this soup is a fast, homemade dinner with veggies in it. I call that a solid win.
If you cook your wontons too long they’ll fall apart. They only need 3 minutes! Once that 3 minutes is up, take the soup off the heat so you don’t overcook them.
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Easy Wonton Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth, regular or low sodium
- ¼ cup soy sauce, regular or low sodium
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar*
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, minced
- 2 cups frozen wontons, like the ones sold at Costco or Trader Joe’s**
- 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 2 cups baby spinach, packed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, fresh, or more, chopped
- cashews, roughly chopped, to garnish each bowl
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth to a medium-large pot and set over high heat. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and the ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- When it is boiling, add the wontons, frozen peas, and baby spinach. Continue to cook over high heat for about 3 minutes until the wontons are warmed through.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro (or sprinkle it over each bowl). Serve the soup with chopped cashews.
Congrats to your sister! How awesome is that!
Um, yeah!! This is truly 10 minutes and done. And so, so yummy and satisfying. I made it for a friend of mine who just had a baby and loves Asian food, and fortunately there’s lots left for us too. I added about 3 cups of leftover jasmine rice and used the Costco wontons. Love it. I will definitely make it again and again.
I’m so excited for your sister, Karen! When I was in high school, one of my dream jobs was “author” and I always wanted to write Stephen King-esque novels. Keep us updated on her journey towards publication. I love that you had to increase the time it takes for you to make the soup. Hell, this would probably take me an hour to make, given my crappy cooking/knife skills. I ALWAYS have wontons in the freezer.. My meals look far sadder than this delicious, flavourful soup. Usually I just boil the wontons and eat them alone. Depressing. This soup, not so much! Love it.
This looks delicious, and so great that it’s quick!
Also congratulations to your sister! Getting an agent is huge, so I’m really happy for her and your family! xo
I’m currently sitting in a blanket, listening to the rain outside and now craving wonton soup! This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try!
– Rachel
huntinglouise.com
Dear Karen,
I just spent the last 20 minutes speed-reading through your sister’s blog (because I’m supposed to be working, not reading blogs) and couldn’t figure out how to comment (see need for speed above), but please let her know that I am OBSESSED. I JUST finished the Veronica Mars series (my roommate highly recommended it) and literally just watched the VM movie last night. Which was highly unsatisfying. Which is why I need more sassy Veronica Mars-like literature to fill the new void in my life. And congrats to her for winning that contest + getting an agent! Being a novelist was a dream of mine up through high school, so as you might be able to tell, I’m a little excited for her :)
And um this soup! I want to eat it, ALL OF IT while I read your sister’s book. Okay done. You guys are such a talented lot!!
Um, can you tell I’m new at blogging?
I’m SO SORRY you couldn’t find a way to leave a comment, Erika! I feel so bad. I figured out it’s because I changed something with the pages this morning. So I’m trying to fix it.
But thank you so much for letting me know you liked it. You can’t imagine how happy that makes me! Writers get a lot of critics. :) Thanks!!!
Oh, and Veronica Mars, the TV show, is the best entertainment in existence.
So glad I came over after your Instagram share – this looks delicious! Pinning!
Congrats to you sis! What an exciting accomplishment! Seriously impressive.
Such fantastic news for your sister. And after her book is published and she needs some book reviews, just send her my way!
Also? I have a serious crush on wontons. Serious crush. So this soup looks delicious.
How have I forgotten about wonton soup??? It’s one of my favs. Looks like now I have another weapon to use in my war in favor of the CostCo membership. It’s happening. It’s only a matter of time. So pumped for your sister. What a huge accomplishment!
Gosh I love wontons so much I could swim in this little beauty of a soup. And congrats to Nikki!
I am so excited for your sister!!! That is such great news! I just read the first few pages on her blog. Amazing!!! Seriously, amazing! I want to use a million exclamation points, haha!
You must keep us updated when the book comes out. I will definitely want to read it :)
This soup looks delicious. Can’t beat 10 minutes!
Totally laughing on who congratulated her first…. We always have a competition to see who called mom and dad first on their birthday, fathers, mothers day etc. Bonus points for visiting them in person… This soup looks amazing… love how easy it sounds to make. I am not a fast chopper so I’m sure I would be in the 10+ category. Loving the use of spinach and peas too. Thanks for sharing.
So if you’re in denial about dinnertime, I think I’m in anger (we’re talking stages of grief here). I’m going to start shooting for bargaining. “Life, I will buy wantons, and you will stop my kids from throwing rice at the wall. Deal?” I’ll let you know how it goes. :)
Also, THANKS for the congrats! I’m so excited!!!!! Thanks for helping me with the contest, too. Everyone, I’m the older sister who doesn’t have give-away savvy or 5,000 FB fans or an Instagram following. I just bask in Karen’s occasional praise like nothing needs to be reflected back. Karen, YOU ROCK SO MUCH!! Your food makes my husband jealous. Wish we lived closer. (It’s a haiku. I’m a writer, okay?)
haha! Hopefully the Wonton soup will help you slide right past the depression stage and into the acceptance stage??
You win in the rocking category. Pretty sure I’ve never written a novel and gotten signed.
ps I love your haiku.
Wow – these are such gorgeous photos – they make me want Wonton Soup for breakfast! Haha! I’ve never made Wonton Soup, but I need to make this. Pinned!
Thanks Kristi! It was my first time making it too. Well, I mean, the first of the 4 times that I made it was the first, haha. Thanks for pinning! :)
We loved this soup. I found the Costco won tons to be very blah in taste, but your recipe helped a lot! I substituted chopped bok choy for the peas, added less rice vinegar, and added in chicken. YUM!
Hey Pam! Yeah you kind of have to doctor them up a bit :) Love the bok choy idea!